I have been asked so many times by fellow beauty enthusiasts on how to deal with "older skin" when it comes to makeup application.
"I'd love to do a makeover for my mom!"
"I was tasked to do makeup for my mom, grand mom and aunts on my sister's wedding."
With or without background in makeup artistry, as long as we show some love for the art of color, we tend to find ourselves get into a situation were people we love entrust their faces to us ON A SPECIAL OCCASION!
It is indeed nerve-racking but armed with tips, tools and knowledge on makeup for older skin + Loads of practice, I don't see any reason why we can't do this task in flying colors!
Tip #1 Youthful Skin
When it comes to older skin, nothing beats creating a clean, young-looking canvass and you can even get away with not much makeup on!
Do not automatically assume that older skin equates to dry skin! I used to assume that and have slathered moisturizing foundation over clients and learned from my mistakes after full face application!
After years of makeup artistry (and continuously learning), I've met several older clients who have normal or even oily skin! Take time to touch their skin (with clean fingers of course!) and talk to them to know their skin issues.
Each individual have different needs to I cannot stress enough to talk to them and check what they're looking for!
- Do they have dry patches on different areas of their face? - Apply moisturizer!
- Worries about fine lines and wrinkles? - Apply a face primer that can help fill in those areas for a smoother application.
- Do they want to cover their freckles and spots? - Dive into your knowledge on correcting and concealing! (Read All About Concealers and How to Spot Conceal)
Tip #2 For the Love of Fuller Brows
I think I missed discussing about brows on my previous post so I'm highlighting this topic for today. Most clients above the age of 50 have sparse and super thin brows! The challenge? Some of them would ask you to keep it that way with a "Don't Touch It" look!
Customers are always right they say! In the case of brows, I am sorry, but I have to do my job to persuade them! Fuller brows can make a person look younger! If they're not comfortable with thick brows, feel free to redefine and fill in their brows just a tiny bit thicker than usual and tell them, "It's makeup, I can always remove it if you don't like it!"
At the end of the makeover, most of them won't even mind!
Tip #3 Eyelining the Natural Way
I used to pick gel liners on all my clients no matter what age! The reason for doing so is the fact that I trust gel liners to have better staying power and smudge-proof capabilities like a superhero! At the lather part of my makeup gigs, I've realized that most older clients look better with softer looking eyes! A super defined line could break the overall "youthful" look. For me, I prefer to whip out my trustee waterproof pencil liners and I pick either Black, Dark Brown or Gray! Smudging the pencil liner after application will keep them looking fresh, young and vibrant!
Tip #4 Cream Blush for the Cheeks
Blushers in powder form can still be used on older skinned clients as long as it has a good amount of shimmers to make their skin looks healthy! If a client's skin is dry to start with, I prefer tapping a bit of cream blush with my fingers or foundation brush as it settles more beautifully than any powder blush I know!
Important note: Cream blush are best applied after liquid/cream foundation application. It is very important to blend well!
Tip #5 Make Highlighters and Illuminators their Bestfriend
As a good continuation to tip#4, the application of highlighters and illuminators can give a fake "moisturized" and "healthy-looking" skin! I have always been a fan of highlighters as I always get compliments on my skin perfection so I don't see why I can't use these on our older friends!
Keep in mind not to overdo application though!
My last client for the year 2012! She's a gorgeous mom of my client and let me tell you, she's got very good skin to start with so I don't have any difficulties enhancing her beauty!
Other related posts ---
Foundation application for Mature Skin
What's the Best Foundation for Mature Skin
I hope this simple follow-up article helps our readers who plan to prettify their gorgeous older family and friends! Fellow makeup artists out there, feel free to share more tips! I'd love to hear/learn from you!
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